Headlight for motor vehicles



Mar. 1j3, 1923.

Filed Jan. 5, 1918 NNI Mar. 13, 1923.

O. E. HUNT HEADLIGHT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Jan. 3, 191,8 2 sheets-sheet 2 @Timm Patented Maire I3, 1923.

srAres rarer sia.

omvIoND E. HUNT, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR To PACKARD MOTOR'CAR 1 COMPANY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CoRPoBATIoNoF MICHIGAN.

HEADLIGHT FOB. MOTOR VEHICLES. y

Application :tiled January 3,' `1918. Serial No.-210,216.

To all 'whom may concern:

Be it lmown that I, ORMoND E. HUNT, a citizen of ythe United States, and resident igan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlights for Motor Vehicles, of whichthefollowing is a spec-ification.

This invention relates to motorgvehicles and particularly to lamps therefon In attaching lamps or headlights to motor vehicles it is very important that they should be so placed thereon that the middle rays of light from the lamps shall lproject in a straight line forwardly or in some cases be directed downwardlyslightly but to the same extentfor both lamps `where two lamps are used.` Itis not a possible manufacturing job to so' makethe lamps and their brackets that when fitted to the vehicle the lamps will be always in exactly the right place and` heretofore the lamps have been adjusted on the vehicle by bending the lamp brackets or supports` slightly 25 to bring the lamps into the `correct posi In some cases these :lamp supports have been made so vstrong andrigid thaty l this adjustment 0f thelamps after they arer tion.

on the vehicle has become a diflicult matter i 30 and it is one of theobjects of the present invention to provideV for an adjustment of the lamp reflector and the bulb carried.

thereby after the lamp has been positioned on the vehicle thus dispensing with thel necessity of adjusting the entire lamp body. Also, it is desirable .in some cases -to kso mount ,thelamp or its reflector that the rays of light from the lamp may be temporarily"y directed downwardly onto the roady more `49 immediately in front of the vehicle tol there-y by prevent the glare from the lamps inter-` fering with the visionof drivers of'vehicles approaching from the .oppositey direction.

It is one of the` objects of thepresentfin-` 1145 vention to so support thetlamp reector that it may be tilted vertically by suitable manually operated means for the Aabove purpose. v 'f f and vertically and for tilting theL reecton?4 for the purposes suggested.

. @ther objects' of. `heinvention lwill appear Another obj ect of thief invention., to. v; 50 simplify the mounting of the reflectory in the from the following description taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this specification, and inwhich: of Detroit, Wayne County, State of Mich- Fig.- 1 is a vertical sectional view through a lamp embodying theinvention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig.1; *n .fl y Fig. 3 is a kfront view of the lamp body and reflectors with the front cover and lenses removed; Y

Fig. 4 is anenlarged horizontal sectiony approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 5 is an enlargeddetail sectional view substantially on the Alinea-5 ofFig. 2; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged lfragmentary section of a slightly modified form. of combined solenoid and connector.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents y idly and as shown non-adjustably secured to an inwardly extending flange 13 at the front ofthe lamp body, and this reflector is provided with ya lamp bulb 14. This small reflector and lamp' are used for or otherwise supported upon the lamp body as at 1.7 andprovided withl lenses 18 and 19 arranged infront ofthe reflectors 11 and respectively when the 'cover is closed, as

shown 4in Fig. 1.- A fastening device 2O is providedto hold the front cover in closed position. n

n he reflector 11v is "provided'with a lamp bulb`21 ofincreased candle-power over the bulb 14, and both reflectors rhave lamp `sockets S22v and connecting'wires l52,3l which extend to ya connector 24 suitably mounted inthe rear part ofV the body `10. As shown the single wire system is used lwhereby the body l of vthe lamp andy its supports constitutefthe return circuit for the current'and thereis therefore a single terminal25 only .forV each of said wires 23.

The reflector l1 issupported'in the lamp body` 10 so that it may be .adjusted n with its "ordinary city driving where a relatively lamp bulb 2l relatively to the lamp body, after the lamp body has been secured to the vehicle. lt is also mounted so that it may bel tilted vertically and returned tothe normal position to'which ithas been previously adjusted. For this purpose there are two socket pieces 26 mounted on-o'pposite sides of the interior of the lamp body 1Q near tbe front opening thereof', and parts or trunnions 27,28 on opposite sides of the reflector are adapted to rest in `these sockets. The sockets open towards the front and the trunnions 27, 23 are each formed with spherical heads 29 adapted to enter these sockets from the front. The trunnion 27 is shown as a rigid or an integralpart of the lreflector ll and this trunnion therefore is non-adjustable, while the trunnion 28 is shown as threaded to a reinforcing piece 30 .on the opposite side of the reflector 11.

This trunnion or threaded device 23 there- Vfore is capable of adjusting the reflector 1l horizontally on the spherical head 29 of the trunnion 27 so that the reflector may thus be adjusted to its normal andv correct position after the lamp has been securedon the vehicle. A locking` wire 3l. shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and in detail in Fig. 5, fits in the notch of the trunnion 28 to hold it in adjusted position.

But two points of support for the reflector ll. have thus far been described. There is a third point of support at the lower partof the reflector. A bracket 32 is secured to the lower part of the reflector and extends into an opening' 33 formed in the extended end of the core 34 of a solenoid35. Thissolenoid is securely mounted wit-hin the lamp body as by bolts 36 and a wire 37 leads fromit to a terminal 38 in the connector 24. It will be formed in the core 34 by two separated arms 39 and a bar 4f) extending between ,them and the bracket32 extends into this opening and is yieldlngly held by means of a .spring device 41 shown in Figs. land 4. 'There is also a yoke 42 mounted on the end of the vsolenoid and extending around i the end of the coreI 34, and a threadeddevice orv adjusting bolt 43extends `through the end of the yoke l42and yabuts against the kbar above described. Afspring'44'at the l,top .of the. reflector 11 is connecte-d to the latter by a hook 45 and to the body 10 of fthe4 lamp-by. aho'ok 46. Thisspring 44a-- tains the reflector inits propernor'llnalz positon ..;wth the.. 'truheons 27 f2.8. :ill-'their sockets land the bracket 32 inthe opening 33 'with tlibftoagaist the relaas.

It will be understood that with the front cover 16 of the lamp removed or turned upwardly out of the way, the reflector l1 may be inserted in the lamp body through the front opening 15 by inserting the bracket 32 in the opening 33 and entering the trunnions 27, 2S in their sockets 26 and then connecting the spring 44 with the hook 45 so that the spring yieldingly retains the rereflector in place. It will be understood further that after being so positioned the reflector may be adjusted horizontally by moving the device 28 until the rays from the reflector pro-ject correctly in that particular, and the threaded device or bolt 43 may then be adjusted to properly position the reflector vertically. Thus by screwing the device 43 inwardly against the bar 40 the core 34 will be moved and carry with it the bracket 32 which will` consequently tilt the reflector 11 downwardly. A reverse movement of the bolt 43 will move the reflector upwardly slightly on its trunnions 27, 28.

In this way the correct normal position of i thereflector is obtained. i

Then this normal position of the reflector has been secured the rays of the lamp may be directed downwardly in front of the vehicle by energizing the solenoid 35 whereby the core 34 will be moved towards the left and the reflector il will be tilted on its trunnions. By (le-energizing the solenoid the spring 44 will return the reflector to its normal position.

Thus it will bc seen that by means of the three supports for the reflector, one of them beingnon-adjustable and two of them being adjustable in parallel and being separated from each other, the reflector may be adjusted both horizontally and vertically to its normally correct position. and then be tilted on its trunnions to a position for throwing` the rays downwardly directly in front of' the vehicle.

ln Fig. 6 the solenoid 35 has a base 47 bvt which it is'mounted in the lamp body and `upon which a connector 24n is secured. This connector 24 extends through the lamp body las does'the connector 24 and it has the samey terminal as that connector. f By the arrange- `Ame-ntvshown in Fig. 6 the connector and solenoid' are combined.

Referring to Fig.` 2 it will be obvious that` the'rigid or non-adjustable trunnion 27 inay'be replaced by lan adjustable trunnionv ysimilar to the trunnion 28 if desired.

It will be understood further that my invention isy not limited to the'details of construction shown and other forms may be jusedfwithout rdeparting from the spirit or v'Iscopefof the invention.

"Hav-ing thu'sdesclribed my invention, what ANI'clairn and.l desire tov secure by LettersPatlamp body, of a reflector mounted therein,

a plurality of supports for said reflector permitting adjustment of the reflector horizontally to locate it in normal fixed position relatively to the body, other supporting means permitting setting of the reflector angularly with respect toI the other adjustment, and means associated with one ofthe supporting means b-ut independent thereof in operation to obtain a tilting movement of the reflector. j

2. In a lamp, the combination with the lamp body, of a reflector therein, two horizontally separated horizontal trunnions for the reflector having means to adjust the rcflector to correct focal location for normal position, and a third support for the reflector having means of xed adjustment therefor, and means associated with said last support for tilting the reflector from normal, adjusted position.

3. In a lamp, the combination with a lamp body, of a reflector therein, two horizontally separated relatively adjustable supports for the reflector, means to fix said supports to hold the reflector in normal correct,

focal position,` a third adjustable support therefor, a spring to retain the reflector against said support, and electrical means for tilting the reflector.

1i. In a lamp, the combination with a lamp body, of a reflector therein, two horizontally separated relatively adjustable supports for the reflector, a third adjustable support therefor, a spring to retain the reflector against said third support, and a solenoid within the lamp for tilting the reflector.

5. In a lamp, the combination with a lamp body, of a reflector therein, a pivotal connection between said reflector and said body, a second pivotal connection between said reflector and said body, said` last named connection being movable to adjust the reflector about the first connection, and means for tilting said reector on both of said connections.

6. In a lamp, the combination with a lamp body, of a reflector therein, a socket at one side of and secured to the lamp body, `a universal pivot carried bythe reflector and resting in said socket, and twoseparated ad-` 8. In a lamp, the combination of a lamp body, of a solenoid therein, a member movable under the attractive force of the solenoid and having an opening therein, reflector supporting sockets in the sides of the lamp body, a reflector having parts supported in said sockets and having a portion extending outwardly therefrom, and resilient means for retainingthe outwardly'extending portion of said reflector in the opening kof the solenoid controlled member. j

9. In a lamp, the combination with a lamp body, of a solenoid therein, a member movable by the attractive force of the solenoid and provided with a transverse opening, reflectorsupporting sockets in the sides of the lamp body above said solenoid and open towards the front, and a reflector having a bracket adapted to fit in said opening and trunnion pieces adapted to fit in said sockets as lthe reflector is inserted in the lamp body.

l0. In a lamp, the combination with a lamp body, of a solenoid therein, a member kmovable under the attractive force of the solenoid and provided ywith, a transverse opening, reflector supporting sockets in the sides of the lamp body above said solenoid and open towardsl the front, a reflector havingy parts adapted to t in said opening and said sockets as the reflector is inserted in the lamp body, and a spring for retaining the reflector in place in the sockets. j

In testimony whereof IafiiX my signature.

ORMOND E. HUNT.

'nsy 

